TIKTOK COULD BE BANNED THIS MONTH.HERE'S WHAT USERS CAN DO TO PREPARE
AppleMagazine|January 17, 2025
TikTok has cemented itself as a quintessential entertainment app, offering everything from funny skits and makeup tutorials to social commentary and news.
TIKTOK COULD BE BANNED THIS MONTH.HERE'S WHAT USERS CAN DO TO PREPARE

The platform, though, could vanish from U.S. app stores by Jan. 19 if the Supreme Court does not step in to block a federal law that forces TikTok to cut ties with its China-based parent company or face a nation-wide ban.

President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, recently asked the court to put a pause on the law so he can work out a “political resolution” to the issue during his second term. If the Justices — who heard oral arguments over the law — grant his request, a potential ban on TikTok will be delayed even further. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision within days.

TikTok has more than 170 million U.S. users. According to the Pew Research Center, that includes most teens and a third of adults. If you are an avid user, or a creator who relies on the platform for income, here’s what you need to know to prepare:

WHAT HAPPENS ON JAN. 19?

Under the law, web hosting companies will also be barred from hosting TikTok. Users will continue to have access to TikTok if it’s already downloaded on their phones, but the app will disappear from Apple and Google’s app stores — so new users won’t be able to download it.

This would also mean that TikTok wouldn’t be able to send updates, security patches and bug fixes to users, all of which will degrade the quality of the app and likely lead to security issues. Eventually, the app will become unworkable.

ARE THERE ANY WORKAROUNDS TO ACCESS TIKTOK?

Yes, but some tech savviness is required and it’s not clear what will and won’t work.

This story is from the January 17, 2025 edition of AppleMagazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the January 17, 2025 edition of AppleMagazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM APPLEMAGAZINEView All
CHINA COUNTERS WITH TARIFFS ON US PRODUCTS.IT WILL ALSO INVESTIGATE GOOGLE.
AppleMagazine

CHINA COUNTERS WITH TARIFFS ON US PRODUCTS.IT WILL ALSO INVESTIGATE GOOGLE.

China announced retaliatory tariffs on select American imports and an antitrust investigation into Google on Tuesday, just minutes after a sweeping levy on Chinese products imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump took effect.

time-read
4 mins  |
AppleMagazine #693
APPLE LASHES OUT AT IPHONE PORN APP MAKER AND THE EU RULES ALLOWING ITS DOWNLOAD
AppleMagazine

APPLE LASHES OUT AT IPHONE PORN APP MAKER AND THE EU RULES ALLOWING ITS DOWNLOAD

Apple has chided a newly available pornography app available in the European Union, and warned that the bloc's digital rules opening the way for third-party app store downloads undermines consumer confidence in the tech giant.

time-read
2 mins  |
AppleMagazine #693
DeepSeek A NEW BIG PLAYER FROM CHINA TO SHAKE UP THE AI BATTLEFIELD
AppleMagazine

DeepSeek A NEW BIG PLAYER FROM CHINA TO SHAKE UP THE AI BATTLEFIELD

A new player has taken the tech world by storm, climbing to the top of the App Store charts and surpassing even established giants like ChatGPT.

time-read
6 mins  |
AppleMagazine #693
JAPAN GAME MAKER NINTENDO REPORTS LOWER PROFIT AS DEMAND FOR SWITCH CONSOLES WANES
AppleMagazine

JAPAN GAME MAKER NINTENDO REPORTS LOWER PROFIT AS DEMAND FOR SWITCH CONSOLES WANES

Nintendo's profits tumbled as sales of its Switch console lost momentum, prompting the Japanese video-game maker to lower its full-year forecasts.

time-read
1 min  |
AppleMagazine #693
TEXAS GOVERNOR ORDERS BAN ON DEEPSEEK, REDNOTE FOR GOVERNMENT DEVICES
AppleMagazine

TEXAS GOVERNOR ORDERS BAN ON DEEPSEEK, REDNOTE FOR GOVERNMENT DEVICES

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott issued a ban on Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek for government-issued devices, becoming the first state to restrict the popular chatbot in such a manner.

time-read
1 min  |
AppleMagazine #693
GOOGLE'S RISING HOLIDAY'S SEASON AD SALES AREN'T ENOUGH TO EASE WORRIES ABOUT AI LETDOWN
AppleMagazine

GOOGLE'S RISING HOLIDAY'S SEASON AD SALES AREN'T ENOUGH TO EASE WORRIES ABOUT AI LETDOWN

Google's digital ad sales continued to grow at a healthy clip during the holiday season, but that wasn't enough to offset investors' worries about whether its big bet on artificial intelligence will be lucrative as once envisioned.

time-read
3 mins  |
AppleMagazine #693
CHINA LAUNCHES AN ANTITRUST PROBE INTO GOOGLE. HERE'S WHAT IT MEANS
AppleMagazine

CHINA LAUNCHES AN ANTITRUST PROBE INTO GOOGLE. HERE'S WHAT IT MEANS

The Chinese government's move to open an antitrust probe into Google is the latest development in a long and tangled relationship that goes back to the early 2000s.

time-read
2 mins  |
AppleMagazine #693
APPLE'S IPHONE SALES DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON SLIPPED DESPITE A HIGHLY ANTICIPATED AI ROLLOUT
AppleMagazine

APPLE'S IPHONE SALES DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON SLIPPED DESPITE A HIGHLY ANTICIPATED AI ROLLOUT

Apple disclosed its iPhone sales dipped slightly during the holiday-season quarter, signaling a sluggish start to the trendsetting company's effort to catch up to the rest of Big Tech in the race to bring artificial intelligence to the masses.

time-read
3 mins  |
AppleMagazine #693
A WEDDING NECKLACE AND POLISH DUMPLINGS WILL BE PART OF A MISSION TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
AppleMagazine

A WEDDING NECKLACE AND POLISH DUMPLINGS WILL BE PART OF A MISSION TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

What do a wedding necklace, Polish savory dumplings and a photo of Hungary's first astronaut have in common?

time-read
1 min  |
AppleMagazine #693
JAPAN'S TOYOTA ANNOUNCES EV AND BATTERY PUSH IN CHINA AND U.S., AS ITS QUARTERLY PROFIT SURGES
AppleMagazine

JAPAN'S TOYOTA ANNOUNCES EV AND BATTERY PUSH IN CHINA AND U.S., AS ITS QUARTERLY PROFIT SURGES

Toyota is developing and making electric vehicles and EV batteries in China, the Japanese automaker said Wednesday, under a new partnership with the Shanghai government.

time-read
2 mins  |
AppleMagazine #693